Bopara extends Essex deal

Ravi Bopara has signed a one-year contract extension with Essex, taking him up to the end of the 2010 season. Bopara, 22, signed the deal before flying out with the England squad on Thursday for their Test series in Sri Lanka.

Bopara enjoyed his best season with the bat to date in 2007, scoring 849 runs at 60.64 in the Championship, with 370 runs at 61.66 in the Friends Provident Trophy and 134 runs at 44.66 in the Twenty20 Cup.

Bopara's consistent form at county level has now earned him recognition on the international stage. Despite suffering bad luck with injuries he has 19 ODI caps after appearing in all five of England's games in their recent series in Sri Lanka.

His ability to hold his nerve at key moments has resulted in the England selectors showing their renewed faith in the youngster by now selecting him for his first Test tour.

Bopara told the Essex CCC website: "Essex has become like a second home to me so I'm delighted to be committing myself to the county for another year. I'm very happy with the progress I've made over the last year so I hope to achieve a great deal more for both Essex and England by the time this contract runs out."

Essex's chief executive David East said: "We are delighted Ravi continues to commit himself to Essex for the foreseeable future. His progress to date has been nothing short of meteoric and we fully expect him to become a permanent fixture in the England team for many years to come. Nonetheless it is comforting to think that when he gets the chance to return to county cricket he will do so in an Essex shirt."